Falcons’ Mt. Rushmore honors past, present, future

Posted by Mike Florio on June 7, 2013, 7:36 AM EDT

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Through the first seven Mt. Rushmores unveiled on NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk, the official show selections (i.e., mine) meshed with at least three of the PFT Planet choices. For the first team unveiled on Thursday, the Bucs, we agreed on all four.

Still, the full range reflects a blend of players from the past and present and, given that Ryan is still on the front end of his prime, the future. My other two were Roddy White and Mike Vick; you went with Deion Sanders and Jessie Tuggle.

A seven-man race for two spots as of Thursday in PFT Planet voting eventually resulted in Ryan and Tuggle getting separation, leaving Andre Rison, Steve Bartkowski, Arthur Blank, and Roddy White behind.

Deion finished on 72 percent of the ballots. Next was Anderson at 48 percents. Ryan and Tuggle each showed up on 36 percent of all ballots.

Mike Vick? Why would we have a man who never fully lived up to his hype then left us how he did? He tore the franchise apart single handedly, it was built entirely around him then we all know what happened. No. It’s an idiotic idea to put him there.

I agree on Tuggle and Ryan but any Falcons Rushmore needs Tommy Nobis on there too. He’d be a sure fire HOFer had he played somewhere more successful but he never did, he was a Falcon through and through. Larry Csonka once said he’d rather face Dick Butkus than Tommy, and for him not to be recognised on this list is ridiculous.

You poked fun at Carolina for having John Kasay on their Mt. Rushmore and Florio decides its a good idea to put a convicted felon, animal killing, no defense reading Vick on the Falcons’? Riddle me that Batman?

I will take that challenge. Simply go back and watch film of Vick playing against your Panthers.

Dog were not the only thing he was killing.

chc4 says:Jun 7, 2013 9:30 AM

Well Deion considers himself a Falcon so I have no problem with it. I didn’t for him but I can see why some would. But Jamal Anderson… really? I would take William Andrews and Gerald Riggs over him. But I was born in the 70s and clearly most people on here were not.

This shows the age of the fans on here. How can you not have Tommy Nobis or Van Note? They are two of the best players in Atlanta I story and it is not debatable. They were just on very bad squads.
Tommy Nobis joined the Falcons for their inaugural season in 1966. That season he won the league’s NFL Rookie of the Year, was voted to the Pro Bowl and amassed an unprecedented 294 combined tackles which still stands today as the team’s all-time single-season record,[1] and is unofficially the most tackles ever credited to one player, in a season, in NFL history. In eleven professional seasons he led the Falcons in tackles nine times, went to five Pro Bowls (one in 1972 after two knee surgeries), was named All-Pro twice and was chosen for the NFL’s “All-Decade Team” for the 1960s. Miami Dolphins great, running back Larry Csonka commented, “I’d rather play against Dick Butkus than Nobis,” and Falcon’s coach Norm Van Brocklin once pointed to Nobis’ locker and proclaimed, “There’s where our football team dresses.”
Nobis is a member of the Atlanta Falcons’ Ring of Honor and his #60 was the first number retired by the team. No other Falcons player has ever worn the number.[1]

Tommy Nobis, Jeff Van Note, Jessie Tuggle are instant no brainers if you know NFL history; Vick has NO PLACE on the list nor does Deion. The 4th spot is a tough one though, Bartkowski was amazing QB, Jamaal Anderson was a pure superstar cut down by injury (man if they had the surgical techniques of today for him then); i would probably have to go with Mike Kenn over the rest of the listed players, Ryan is current and not considerable as he is still playing and yet to be seen if he will reach that pinnacle.